A Community Development Forum will be held on Tuesday 28 March, 10am-12 noon, followed by lunch, at the Swaminarayan Hindu Mission, 132 Moira Street, Loughborough.
The meetings are friendly and informal, usually with speakers, and an occasion to network and share information.

Anyone with an interest in community development issues is welcome to attend. For further information about the forum, and bookings, please contact Vicci Barrett on 01509 631787 or vicci.barrett@charnwoodcvs.org.uk

Cath Walker, Information Officer

Numerous activities to celebrate John Storer House’s 40th Anniversary have been planned over John Storer House (JSH) Anniversary Week.
Events kick off on Saturday 22 April with a Car Boot Sale and Spring Fair in the morning, through to Saturday 29 April, ending with a visit from the Mayoral delegates for the Twinning Association, who will be at JSH for lunch after a visit to the Queen’s Park to unveil a memorial. The House events close with Line Dancing on Saturday evening.
All are welcome, and a complete programme of events is available from John Storer House reception or Wendy Smith on 01509 631750 or wendy.smith@charnwoodcvs.org.uk
The present day John Storer House was opened on 29 April, 1966 by Princess Margaret. A brief history of the House, taken from John Storer House:a Short History, by Owen Brown can be found on CVS website
http://www.charnwoodcvs.org.uk/45623.ht

There has recently been a three-month consultation period, which saw proposals that meant possible changes to bed provision for older people with mental ill-health at both Coalville and Loughborough hospitals.

The consultation provoked massive response from local communities, and as a result the Primary Care Trust reconsidered its proposals at its Board Meeting on the 9th of February 2006.
Acting PCT Chief Executive Colin Blackler said: “We have listened to what people had to say and the Board has today decided to implement only part of our proposal – to move the seven long-stay patients in Loughborough Hospital to another ward within the hospital. All other aspects of the service will remain the same for the time being. This compromise which takes account of the high level of public feeling about the issue, means that the needs of our patients will continue to be met, and allows us to achieve a proportion of the cost saving we aimed for”.

Sallianne Thomas< Social Care & Involvement Worker

Loughborough Volunteer Centre recently received the National Quality Accreditation Mark with merit from Volunteering England. The Centre offers a service to promote volunteering. There are currently over 320 opportunities in Charnwood, based in a range of organisations. Volunteering brings many benefits as well as being fun. For further information, contact the Volunteer Centre on 01509 631770.

Over the next few months we say farewell to Maggie Cherry, Manager, and Pam Cox, Deputy. Maggie (who has worked at Charnwood CVS for almost nine years) and her family are leaving to live in Durham. Pam is retiring after working many years for the voluntary sector. We will miss Maggie and Pam and wish them well and all the best.

Cath Walker

On the allotment we are hoping that the worst of the weather is behind us and we can get on with what we like best, growing plants. There were some grim days in February when the warm glow of Christmas was well behind us and it was just plain freezing. Nevertheless, we did manage to substantially improve the site with slabbing (outside the shed), to rid us of some of the mud, new log roll around the herb bed and all of the other beds double-dug with manure. Andy was very grateful for the help of Phil Thornton with some of this work.

There are a few new allotment holders this year and the group was pleased to help some of them prepare their sites for the coming season. We have also resumed our visits to Glebe House and continue to donate spare plants to fill out the gardens there. Weather permitting, we hope to get our garden service in full swing soon.
The Monday and Friday Groups, which are an extension of the Gardening Project and cater for adults with greater support needs, are very hopeful that new premises will be available shortly and that they will be able to move out of Mountsorrel Day Centre and into central Loughborough. This will increase the possibilities for community involvement and greater independence which is the overall aim of the groups.

Lastly, everyone on the Project would like to say how much they will miss Maggie Cherry as she leaves her post as Manager of the Volunteer Centre and as the line manager of the Garden Project. We wish her, and husband Stephen and family, well in their new life in Durham. It is an exciting move for them but leaves us bereft without her support and encouragement. Thanks Maggie, for all your sage guidance.

By Bobby Smith

2006 marks the Fiftieth Anniversary of Loughborough’s partnership with Epinal in France and the occasion will be celebrated in the town when a large group of “Spinaliens”, led by the Mayor of Epinal, arrive at the end of April. Supporting delegations, including civic leaders, will attend from Loughborough’s other twin towns: Schwäbisch Hall (Germany), Gembloux (Belgium) and Zamosc (Poland).

The “Spinaliens” will include the Epinal Choral Society (Les Poly Sons) and the folk dance group known as Les Pinaudrés, who will give performances during the celebrations.
On Friday 28th April in the Edward Herbert Building of Loughborough University there will be a “European Question Time”, after the style of the BBC television programme, chaired by Professor David Allen. The panel will consist of the Mayors of Epinal, Schwäbisch Hall, Gembloux and Zamosc together with Councillor Max Hunt, Leader of Charnwood Borough Council. University students and sixth-formers from local schools will attend and the proceedings will be in English. Everyone is welcome and no tickets are required. The occasion will give an opportunity to compare attitudes on the subject of European friendship and co-operation.

On Saturday 29th April there will be a formal Jubilee Commemoration ceremony in Queen’s Park, with a display of folk dancing presented by Les Pinaudrés.

At 7.30 pm there will be a Concert in Emmanuel Church, to include Fauré’s Requiem, given by Les Poly Sons and Charnwood Choral Society. Tickets will be required for this event. (Details announced later in the ‘Echo’).
On Sunday 30th April all delegations will attend a Civic Service in All Saints-with-Holy Trinity Church (led in English, French, German and Polish).

Coincidentally, this year marks the 40th anniversary of Loughborough’s twinning with Schwäbisch Hall and a party from the Loughborough/Schwäbisch Hall Family Link will travel there in June.

By Colin Salsbury

By Stan Cramer
Our general feeling of well-being is determined by three factors so a “Choosing Health” NHS conference was told recently.
According to one of the speakers, Nic Marks, Head of Well-Being Research of the New Economics Foundation, half of our feeling of well-being is determined by our genetic make-up and upbringing which is in the past - and there is not much that that we can do about it! A tenth is made up of life circumstances such as income, our work situation and where we live. The remaining forty percent is very much within our control through our friendships, sports, hobbies and attitude to life.
Nic Marks considered that Government policy can help promote our well-being by the NHS actively working for positive health, by more public investment in the early years of life and by providing good schools. However, on an individual basis, he considered that there is a lot we can do for ourselves through such factors as ensuring we give time to our families and friends, choosing meaningful work and, very apposite for Charnword, being actively involved in the community.
On the latter point and as a member of a church, I wonder how the churches and other faith groups in Charnwood could enlarge their pastoral role of providing spiritual nourishment to their members to reach out to the whole community responding to people’s needs for positive well being.
Please contact Stan Crammer through the Charnwood Voluntary Sector Mental Health Trust 01509 233475 or admin@cvsmht.plus.com

By Sarah Lawrence
As usual, many of us will have made New Year’s resolutions about taking more exercise, shedding a few pounds and eating more healthily, but that’s only half of it. Why not give your brain a workout? Every year, 20,000 people do a course with the National Extension College, NEC,an educational charity which was set up 40 years ago to help people achieve their learning goals.
People study with the NEC for a wide variety of reasons. Some missed out the first time around. Richard Totman from Newmarket in Suffolk didn't get the exam results he wanted so he put university on hold and went to work in his father's business. He's now decided to study A-levels in Economics and Physics with distance learning packs from NEC so he can get better grades and go to university.
"I'm keen to come back and work for my Dad in the future but I want to learn more about business so I've got the theory as well as the practical knowledge," he says.
Academic study, the route to a return to work or a change of job, or something that you enjoy and that gives you a feeling of personal satisfaction – these are all reasons to give your brain a good workout. Go on - fit learning into your life.
To find out more, call the National Extension College on 0800 389 2839, email courses@nec.ac.uk or visit www.nec.ac.uk/courses.

By Neil Lambert, Chief Executive
Staff and trustees of Syston Volunteer Centre, Shepshed Volunteer Centre, Loughborough Volunteer Centre and Charnwood CVS have been in discussions throughout 2005 on how best to improve delivery of support and services to volunteers, voluntary organisations and community groups across the borough.
A joint working party has looked into what we do now, separately, and how joining up agencies may provide a more effective arrangement. The rationale behind the proposal is to enhance inclusion and participation of all people and communities across the whole borough; increase efficiency and effectiveness, reduce duplication; while retaining local identity at points of delivery, particularly in Syston and Shepshed.
If final agreement is reached, then we will hold an Extraordinary General Meeting to make the necessary legal changes to facilitate this merger. This will at least include a new composition for the Board of Trustees, and a change of name; the working title being suggested, is Voluntary Action Charnwood.
It is important to get each step of the process right, and that all parties are in agreement at each stage, so time is less important, but if possible we will aim for a new borough-wide services plan to be implemented by next April 2006.
There will be more news on this in the next edition of Charnword.

By Neil Lambert
Many of you will have been visitors to John Storer House for many years. There are lots of opportunities and activities, which carry on year after year with certainty. Our 40th Anniversary is being planned for April.
But we all know that simply hoping things won’t change isn’t enough. Some of our minibuses are nearing the end of their safe working life and we need to get replacements. The Lottery grant we receive for Transport staffing ends in March, after six years, and we are in discussions to seek new funding. We hope the service continues, with the same helpful staff and safe reliable vehicles.
As part of my job, I have to look ahead and foresee what will happen if we do nothing. As with the buses and grants, we know they will come to an end, so we are taking action to try to continue the services which people value.
Last September, the John Storer House Foundation Trustees agreed to major surveys of the building, including plumbing and electrics on the inside, as well as the roof etc, outside. The results are expected soon and we will then be considering recommendations for how best to continue improving the House.
I hope this will assure some people that we are doing our best to keep the House in good order and want to continue to provide good facilities and services.
Other recent changes to reception were explained in the JSH Newsletter, however rumours circulated and caused concern to some people. We didn’t move, nor close down, and want to keep going for many years to come.
Everyone involved with the House wants to preserve the things we value. We don’t want to change things without good reason. We will make changing with the times as easy to cope with as possible.
If anyone wants to check the facts anytime please speak to Wendy, Gerry or myself.